Sunday, January 28, 2007

the drake Smew on my local patch proved to be the most flighty bird of the year; flying off when anyone was within 100m it did not make for easy photography--these are my best efforts and heavily cropped!

having permanent hides which permanently face into the sun makes a photographer's life more interesting as you have to explore new avenues of capture---I would however, have preferred this Smew to have had the sun behind it!

the Whooper Swans were not visible at New Holland at high tide but a fine adult Med Gull was feeding off the outfall--fortunately I had that essential bit of bird photographers kit, the bag of stale bread, in the car and that managed to bring it in for a few brief fly bys before it moved off south-west--I also liked the shots of the first winter Common Gull which was much more interested in my bread

this Little Egret at South Killingholme was the first local bird I have seen for three years--it was usually getting on well with the local Grey Heron but occasionally the bigger beast took exception to the egrets more efficient feeding rate

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Ross's Gull has long been a favourite bird of mine from the halcyon days of March and April 1976 when I twice dipped on the long stayer at Scarborough through my first unforgettable adult on Filey Brigg in 1983. The species engenders such a feeling of mystique with its distant and for long unknown breeding grounds and its high Arctic habitat combined with its rarity status in the UK. I added the adult at Thurso in April 1984 and January 1985 to my list of Ross's and then made the epic train journey to see the first-winter at Inverness in February 1993; this remained my only first-winter bird in spite of seeing further adults at Sunderland in February 1994 and Scarborough in March 2002 not forgetting the amazing summer adult at Greatham Creek in June1995. News of the long staying Mull of Kintyre bird proved irresistible and Kev DuRose, Dave Jenkins, Mike Weedon and myself journeyed up over the weekend calling in at Callander for the duck on the Saturday. The fact that there were canoes in the car park at Callander foretold the story and it certainly did rain all day and most for the night. Sunday should have been sunny spells and showers! the Met Office triumphed again and it blew a strong SW winds with 8/8 cloud and some heavy rain showers amongst the rain and odd dry bits! The Ross's though was superb if only the light had been better but it was western Scotland in winter. Enjoy a selection of the images of this bird below. Canon 1DMkIIN and Canon 300f4 lens.

Thanks to Mike for the group shot which makes me look like a Michelin man--the bird in its habitat and my three colleagues testing waterproof coats!